New project from Scarborough museum wants your help as ‘citizen researchers’ - how to get involved

From Local to Global will forge links with researchers and conservationists across the UK, and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The project, which has received £130,000 in funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, will use as its focal point Scarborough Museums Trust’s Harrison Collection, named after Colonel James Harrison (1857-1923) of Brandesburton Hall, East Yorkshire.

The project is keen to involve local people as ‘citizen researchers – volunteers who may wish to investigate relevant subjects ranging from the history of the Congo, our shared colonial past, life in Scarborough at the time, human rights, objects in the Harrison Collection and environmental conservation, to folk music and art.

Yasmin Stefanov-King, project assistant at Scarborough Museums Trust, says: “What makes this project unique is that the research into our shared past is being undertaken by our communities – not just professionals from within the museum. That’s really important to us, because our citizen researchers have a lot of knowledge they can bring to this project, and we can learn from them.

“Citizen researchers will have the chance to work alongside objects from the collection and develop skills around how to do research, with regular sessions organised by us and Scarborough Library.

"This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in researching local history and our global connections or developing new skills to get involved. There are loads of research ideas on our website, so do get in touch if you want to know more.”

Free research skills sessions will be running regularly until October in conjunction with Scarborough Library. They will involve getting familiar with the Harrison Collection, spending time in the museum's store, learning how to research using objects as starting points, and what free online resources are available at the Library to support research.

Harrison undertook expeditions around the world to hunt for sport and collected animal trophies. In 1904, he brought back six indigenous people of the Ituri Forest in what was then known as the Belgian Congo (people who would have been described as ‘pygmies’). He toured them around the country in public exhibitions including at the London Hippodrome and the House of Commons.

The Harrison Collection of artefacts collected by or belonging to Colonel Harrison includes taxidermied animals, diaries, gramophone discs and photographs, creating a comprehensive record of our colonial past. It forms the start point for activities including developing a network of ‘citizen researchers’ recruited from local community groups, with support from Scarborough Library, to research the Collection Harrison, colonialism, and wider environmental issues.

The project also aims to encourage environmental action and advocacy and includes a schools' learning programme for primary, secondary and sixth form students.

It will culminate in an exhibition at Scarborough Art Gallery this autumn which will draw on the community-led research and provide a range of alternative viewpoints.

To find out more about how to get involved, please visit: https://www.fromlocaltoglobal.co.uk/citizen-researchers-help-and-hints or email: [email protected]